Knicks vs Celtics: Video Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Grades

The Boston Celtics put a stop to the Linsanity that's taken the NBA by storm in recent weeks, putting their smothering defense to work to shut down Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks in overtime at the TD Bank Garden on Sunday, 115-111. The Celtics' Big Four of Rajon Rondo (who went off for 18 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists), Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett combined for 82 of the team's 115 points, highlighted by Rondo's fourth triple-double of the season.

Tweets of the Night

It was tough not to notice just how poorly Jeremy Lin played on Sunday, or rather, how Rajon Rondo took Linsanity to school all afternoon.

Or, as The Bill Walton Trip notes, how the Lin-Rondo matchup resembled a poorly conceived after-school experiment:

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Good gracious! Rajon Rondo is making Jeremy Lin look like that old guy at the YMCA who plays ball a few days a week just to stay in shape!

— The Bill Walton Trip (@NotBillWalton) March 4, 2012"

Baron Davis didn't play all that much better than Lin, though his contributions were significant enough to catch the attention of Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:

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Baron Davis is the Knicks best point guard since Jeremy Lin.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) March 4, 2012"

Our contractually-obligated "Celtics are old" quip of the day comes courtesy of Slam Magazine's Myles Brown, who spiced his up with a Bostonian double entendre:

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The Celtics haven't run this much since they were late for the Early Bird Special.

— Myles Brown (@mdotbrown) March 4, 2012"

"Bill Walton" gets extra love today for tying in on-court fashion and LeBron James:  

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In this Age of LeBron its refreshing to see Celtics players classically wear their headbands to shield from perspiration, not hairlines.

— The Bill Walton Trip (@NotBillWalton) March 4, 2012"

Must-See Highlight

As easy as it is to belittle Lin for struggling against the C's suffocating D, he still deserves credit for this sick hookup with rookie Iman Shumpert.

I can only imagine what manner of acrobatics they would've pulled off in the Slam Dunk contest during All-Star weekend had Shumpert not been injured.

Grades for Key Knicks Players

Jeremy Lin: C+

There's no need to jump clear off of Lin's bandwagon just yet, though his performance on Sunday did give Knicks fans plenty of reason to temper their stratospheric expectations. Lin could hardly handle going against an elite point guard of Rondo's caliber, finishing the day with 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting along with five assists and six turnovers while struggling to stop the C's All-Star from stuffing the stat sheet.

Still, Lin deserves some kudos for giving the C's a run for their money down the stretch in the fourth quarter.

Carmelo Anthony: B

Linsanity or not, Carmelo Anthony is still the Knicks' best player, though they'll need him to start playing like it more consistently if they're to capitalize on their considerable talent from here on out. 'Melo had himself another sub-par shooting day, hitting eight of his 21 shots for 25 points to go with seven rebounds and two assists.

But, like Lin, Anthony came up big in the end, hitting clutch shots in the final two minutes to help force overtime.

Amar'e Stoudemire: B-

Amar'e gets credit for posting a double-double on the day (16 points, 13 rebounds), but a demerit for his characteristically poor post defense and less-than-sound rebounding technique. Stoudemire's case was also stunted by his 7-of-16 shooting performance, including 2-of-4 at the free throw line and a missed tip dunk in overtime.   

And have I mentioned that Stoudemire's defense was, is and probably always will be terrible?

Grades for Key Celtics Players

Rajon Rondo: A+

Rondo transformed the negativity of the constant trade chatter and the nation's obsession with Linsanity into one of his finest performances of the season. As tremendous as Rondo's triple-double (18 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and 20 assists) looks on paper, it only tells one side of his story on the afternoon. When Rondo wasn't piling up stats, he was busy shutting down Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis, who combined for 12 turnovers on the day.   

Paul Pierce: A

For those of you who forgot how good Paul Pierce still is, he did plenty on Sunday to serve a reminder. The Truth tallied a season-high 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting on the afternoon, along with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals, not to mention a key three to tie the game with 4.9 seconds left.

Kevin Garnett: B+

Who says KG can't ball anymore? The Big Ticket was terrific against New York's shoddy front line, tallying 18 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks. If Garnett can continue to play like this, GM Danny Ainge may actually feel compelled to hang onto his veterans through the end of the season.   

Deciding Factor: Turnovers

Both teams were undone by untimely turnovers throughout the game. The Knicks, in particular, struggled to squeeze the orange, racking up nearly as many turnovers (22) as assists (23). That sort of carelessness does not, cannot and will not fly in the NBA, especially for a squad as talented as the Knicks. 

Stat of the Night: 4

Rajon Rondo's matinee triple-double was his fourth of the 2011-12 campaign. No other player has more than one this season.

Game MVP: Rondo

I know I've harped on it too much already, but Rondo's final stat line is just too amazing to ignore. Otherwise, this "honor" would go to Pierce for his age-defying scoring output, including his perfunctory play in crunch time.

What's Next?

Both teams will be taking on Texans on Tuesday. The Knicks will travel to the Metroplex to take on the Dallas Mavericks, while the Celtics will host the Houston Rockets in Bean town.

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